Help with wild duckling please!!!!! (pics)

[1lpoock]

That's definetly not a wood duck. However, it looks more like some of my teal, but it also looks domestic also. Hmm maybe someone just dropped it off? Or it certainly could be a kind of teal?

 

[treldib]

Thant IS the typical Teal head shape...

 

[tia]

I doubt someone dropped it off. There are only a couple of other people in town with ducks and I know them both. One of them has ducks that I gave to him. It has to be a wild one. I ordered duck starter and they sent me wild game bird starter - I hope that will work... he is eating it. 26% Protein 7% fat 3% Fiber 3 Calcium 2 Phosphorus. I hope that is good. I would like to find a little buddy for him, but would probably have to order one. I don't know of anyone that would send one duckling.

 

[Show Me Chick]

Just in case you don't know... you are risking big fines and jail time for keeping a wild duckling.

 

[ejctm]

Tia,

Having fostered wild ducks before, and now raising my own domestic ducks (runners by the way!) I would suggest you give some thought now to what you are going to do with this little fellow in the long run, as that will influence how he grows up.

If you plan on returning him to the wild when he is grown (or just letting him fly off when he is ready), then you should keep human contact to a minimum and preserve his natural wariness of you (no cuddles, no hand feeding, etc

) He is already imprinted on a duck, so there is a good chance that he can be assimilated back to the wild in a few months. You should also check the local laws with regard to releasing wildfowl.

If you plan on keeping him, then of course do all the things you would with your own ducks, ensure lots of human contact, etc (cuddles

) but again, check with your local wildlife rescue what the law is on keeping wildfowl. I imagine it would be heartbreaking to fall in love with this little one, and then have to give him up to the authorities when he will be essentially domesticated.

Brilliant job you are doing there, he really is a lucky little guy!

 

[HeatherLynn]

You might also try giving him a little stuffed buddy to play with. I had a single one hatch before and gave the poor thing a beanie baby to cuddle with. It was one dirty beanie baby by the end of it but he seemed to take comfort from it.

 

[destinduck]

looks like a golden eye to me ,also till you get starter feed just boil an egg and crumble it in the food. you can add a little food in the water to stimulate feeding, good luck

 

[tia]

Thanks I have my starter food and he is eating good. He is still very perky. I talked to a man from the Univ. of Alaska yesterday who has authority to rescue any local eagles and ship the to bird rehab. and he said there was a bird rehab. place in Palmer that might be able to help me out. I am going to call on Monday. I don't know if they take ducks - I lot of them focus mostly on owls and bald eagles. Thanks!!!

 

[chicken boy sam]

What ended up happening? If you kept him, we need pictures!

 

[desertdarlene]

Is this how Jet came to be known to BYC? I would love to see updated photos. Did he/she turn out to be a gadwall afterall?